


for him.

by greyspilot



Series: there are an infinite number of universes (and we belong together in every one) [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Soft Boys, all lowercase because it felt like that kinda story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyspilot/pseuds/greyspilot
Summary: words aren’t something he’s good at (especially those words; he was never taught to say them), but steve needs to hear it, so billy would learn to say it. for him.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: there are an infinite number of universes (and we belong together in every one) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661146
Comments: 24
Kudos: 155





	for him.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saltstuck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltstuck/gifts), [immortalitylost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortalitylost/gifts).



> title from for him. by Troye Sivan

billy thinks steve just _knows_. he thinks steve knows that the way he helps him with his homework, the way he drives him around when his car is broken and the way he spends all his spare time fixing it, the way he kisses him so softly and holds him until he falls asleep means that billy _loves him_. he thinks steve already _knows_ and that he doesn't have to _say it_.

but steve is used to people _doing things_ for him. his nannies cared for him growing up, did things for him, but they didn't _love_ him, they were being paid. his old friends did things for him, shared their notes and their gossip and their weed, let him beat them on the court and called him _king steve_ , but they didn't _love_ him, they wanted the popularity.

and it was fine, because he didn't really love them either. but billy.

he _loves_ billy.

but billy doesn't love him.

sure, billy helps him with his homework but thats because steve is _stupid_ , can't do it on his own. sure, billy gives him a ride when steve’s car doesn’t want to start but that’s just because billy owes him for all the times steve drove max. sure, billy will fix his car up but that's only because steve knows he loves it, wants to open his own garage someday and needs the practice. sure, billy will kiss him and hold him in the middle of the night, when the nightmares are a little too much, but that's just because they're both lonely, because no one else knows what they know. billy doesn't _love him_.

and it all comes out one night, when steve is more than a little drunk and its the middle of the night and its _cold_ in hawkins, but steve doesn’t mind too much because he has billy pressed up close against him and-

“i love you,” steve says it like a sigh of relief, soft but _heavy_ and billy almost thinks he imagined it. almost, but then steve keeps talking. “and it’s okay that you don’t love me. i just thought you should know.”

and billy just _stops_. stops breathing, stops thinking anything other than _he thinks i don’t love him_?

and it hurts, thinking that _hurts_ because he thought steve _knew_ , thought it had been so painfully _obvious_ that billy is a complete goner for steve goddamn harrington.

billy can’t stay quiet. he’d stayed quiet because he thought steve _knew_ but he was wrong and now steve thought billy didn’t _love him_.

“you think i don’t love you?”

“know you don’t,” his words are muffled from the alcohol and the way the side of his face is pressed against billy’s pillow. “never say it.”

and _fuck_. billy never says it because he didn’t think he _had_ to. words aren’t something he’s _good at_ (especially _those_ words; he was never taught to say them), but he was good with _actions_ , good with his fists and his fingers and his _tongue_.

but steve needs to hear it, so billy would learn to say it. for him.

“stevie, baby, you know that’s not true, right?”

steve just hums, buries his face a little further into billy’s pillow. but billy is having none of that, isn’t letting steve avoid this, avoid _him_ , so he grabs him by the shoulder, pushes him onto his back so he has no choice but to look right back at billy.

steve, in his quickly sobering state, tries not to get lost in those blue eyes.

“i didn’t know you _needed_ me to say it. thought it was obvious, princess.

“bill, it’s okay. you don’t have to-”

“i know i don’t _have to_ , but i _want_ to. don’t want you thinking- _shit_ , steve…i love you.”

and all of a sudden steve is sober and billy wants to _cry_. he said it. said those words and it was _okay_ , no pain. it was _nice_ , the way steve smiled so soft and light, the way his chest loosened, the way he felt as though this _weight_ had been lifted from his broad shoulders.

he loves steve and it was _okay_ to say that. it didn’t hurt. he wants to say it again and, well, there’s no one to stop him.

“i love you like i didn’t know i _could_ love. you’re it for me, pretty boy. i’m sorry i didn’t say it sooner. ‘m sorry you didn’t know.”

and steve-

steve just smiles in that way that takes billy’s breath away, the way that makes his knees weak, the way that made billy fall in love with him in the first place.

“well i know now,” he says, hooks an arm around billy’s neck and pulls him in for a kiss.

It’s fleeting, just a quick press of lips, but it’s soft and it’s sweet and it makes billy feel warm all over.

“and just for the record,” steve adds, planting one more kiss to the corner of billy’s twitching mouth, “i love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> saltstuck: who else got some HCs  
> me: i doooo!  
> 840 words later...
> 
> i thought this hc i had started writing was fitting considering what we were talking about in the group chat, so i wanted to dedicate this fic to my favourite gremlins of darkness <3


End file.
